Hola de Nicaragua!
Something I’d like to start at the beginning of each month is giving you a big picture view of what each month will (likely) look like. I hope that this will give you, my readers, supporters, friends, and family, a better idea of what’s happening in my life and hopefully some prayer points as well! Also, three of my teamies have yet to be fully funded! You can find the links to their blogs over here – specifically Emma, Jessica, and Sandy!
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These women are doing extraordinary work for the sake of the Gospel alongside me, and might not get to stay on the Race if they aren’t funded. So, if you would be willing to trade a latte or two so that they could keep running the race marked out for them, it would mean the world to us. Literally. 🙂
WHO:
We’re working with an AIM base called REAP Granada, which is primarily run by an American couple: Scott and Jen Esposito. Scott and Jen are currently in Guatemala, so we’re being led by Nathan and Caitlin, two American missionaries who are well acquainted with the World Race and have been working here for three years (more or less). We’re working closely with some incredible Nicaraguans: other ministry leaders, translators, farmers, cooks, and pastors. This is another all-squad month – yay for community!
WHAT:
Though Nicaragua is another all-squad month, our ministry will mostly be done in our teams. Our main focus is to support a group of local pastors in discipling their congregations and evangelizing to their neighborhoods. This month, Kintsugi is going to stretch our creative muscles as we help design Tamarind-seed jewelry and then teach Nicaraguan women how to make it to sell to future American missionaries who’ll work at REAP. We will also have the opportunity to provide meals to workers at the city dump, visit a nursing home, pray for healing at the hospital, and volunteer at the sporting events hosted on site. We are also working with a community center that offers meals, children’s programs, morning fasting, afternoon games, and weekend movie nights, and meet to pray as a group every Wednesday morning at 5 am sharp!
WHEN:
We arrived in Nicaragua on October 8th, and will be here at least through the end of the month. We have official ministry Wednesday through Sunday, ‘off-days’ on Monday, and a Sabbath on Tuesday.
WHERE:
REAP Granada is in – you guessed it – Granada! We are situated east of Lake Nicaragua, the 19th largest freshwater lake in the world, and the only freshwater lake with saltwater sharks (There’s a little fun fact for ya)! The base is about 3 miles from the center of town, and ministry takes place from one end of the city to another, in the 8 neighborhoods that correspond to the 8 congregations we’re working with this month.
WHY:
In our ministry briefing, Scott, Jen, Nathan, and Caitlin shared with us the heart behind and vision for REAP Granada, which I would like to share here with you.
REAP (which stands for Restore, Educate, Activate, and Perpetuate) was started 6 years ago, ministering to three neighborhoods through various ‘touchpoints’: sports, prison ministry, bible studies, farming, construction, and community. Ministry here has never been consistently one thing, except for sharing Jesus and discipling people. Here on the farm, it is evident that life in Christ is ministry, and ministry is life. This is because they believe real ministry happens in the overflow – in constant connection with God, not a fill-empty-refill mentality. This is why we are given a Sabbath, as well as mandatory quiet time; why we’re given a book to study and opportunities to fast and to pray. Their desire is that we go home and be creative – create communities, movements, ministries, etc. That wherever we are, we’re partnering with Jesus to restore what’s broken, educate people about the Lord, activate believers, and perpetuate life as ministry long after we’ve left.
I hope this gives you a better understanding of what my October looks like! Thank you always for your support through blog comments, reading, and email responses. But above all, thank you for your prayers!!
